Parent Update 69 - 28.01.2021
Dear Parents,
I am sure you will be aware that the Prime Minister announced yesterday that schools will not fully reopen before Monday 8th March. However, we are still open for Critical Workers and vulnerable children. If you feel your child is eligible for a place, please do contact us. The criteria list can be viewed on our website.
In the meantime, we will continue to teach the children who are in school alongside the children who are accessing home learning. The work being set is covering the same learning whether at home or at school, so it is imperative that children who are home learning complete the work every day. If they miss days, they will have significant gaps in their learning and struggle with the follow up work for the rest of that unit of work. If children have some days in school and some at home, they must access the home learning on the home days for the same reason.
The staff are gradually covering the set curriculum planned for this term, and we have well over 95% of children accessing their home learning. It is therefore essential those who are not completing any work do so immediately, to keep pace with the learning in their class and ensure that they haven't got huge gaps in their learning when they eventually return to school.
You may also have heard on the news that school staff are being offered Lateral Flow Device kits to test themselves and so identify any asymptomatic Covid cases, enabling them to isolate and reduce transmission of the virus. This is another very positive step towards reducing the risk of Covid transmission within the schools.
The DfE has also confirmed that schools will close as usual for the half term break but are not being asked to provide food vouchers:
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'Schools do not need to provide lunch parcels or vouchers during the February half-term. There is wider government support in place to support families and children outside of term-time through the Covid Winter Grant Scheme. The £170 million scheme is being run by local authorities in England, with at least 80% of the funding earmarked to support with food and essential utility costs and will cover the period to the end of March 2021. It will allow local authorities to directly help the hardest-hit families and individuals over the winter period.' |
I will update you next week on any support, that we are aware of, which is available over the half term period.
It is good to see that cases are gradually reducing, but we must continue to keep washing our hands, socially distancing and wearing a mask to help the situation improve even further.
With my very best wishes
Stay safe,
Mrs Sheila Pape
Executive Headteacher